Container with straw



May 18, 1965 M. cour-:N ETAL CONTAINER WITH STRAW Filed June 26, 196s INVENTORS MAX COHE EDWARD R. ELSTON J mw United Statesl Patent O 3,184,134 CQNTANER WlTH STRAW Max Cohen and Edward R. Elston, Ontario, Calif., assignors to Insee Enterprises, Inc., ntario, Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,688 Claims. (Cl. 229-7) This invention relates to improvements in beverage containers of the type having a built-in sipping straw.

In dispensing beverages, as for example in a cafeteria or snack bar in an industrial plant or the like, it is common to dispense the individual lorders of beverage in the same cartons in which the beverages are supplied to the vendor. The consumer usually drinks the beverage by means of a sipping straw inserted into the container. Conventional practice requires that the sipping straw be provided separately from the container. Accordingly, a supply of sipping straws must be provided for distribution, one with each container of beverage sold.

The present invention provides a beverage container which has Ya sipping straw incorporated therein. The straw is sealed in a sanitary manner to the carton when the carton is filled but is readily accessible for use. Use of the present invention materially simplies the procedure by which individual servings of beverage are dispensed in their own containers.

Generally speaking, the present invention is provided in combination with a liquid container having an enclosed interior volume and an apertured top. The combination comprises a sealing member releasably connected to the container for closing the aperture in the top of the container. The sealing member includes a recessed portion configured in size and shape to mate intimately with the periphery of the aperture in the container top and to extend interiorly of the container when the sealing member is disposed in closure relation to the aperture. The sealing member defines a sipping port therethrough within the limits of the recess. A flexible sipping straw extends from the interior of the container throu gh the sipping port to an exterior end. A closure member is provided which removably and snugly mates with the sealing member for closing the recess formed in the sealing member. The exterior end of the straw is disposed in the recess between the sealing member and the closure member when the closure member is mated with the sealing member.

The above mentioned and other features of the present invention are more fully set forth in the following detailed description and explanation of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is an elevation view, with parts broken away, of a liquid container according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the container illustrated in FlG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the top of the container showing the sealing member and the closure member and the relationship of these parts to the exterior andthe sipping straw;

FIG. 4 is a top plan View, with parts broken away, showing the container in its completely sealed condition; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a closed container according to the present invention.

Referring initially to FIGS. l and. 2, a container is ice shown having a closed top 11 and an overall height 12. A peripheral edge 13 is defined circumferentially of the top of vthe container. A pouring aperture 14 is provided through container top 11 and opens into an exterior volurne 15 of the container. Aperture 14 is shown in FIG. 2. as being of circular configuration, but it is within the scope of the present invention that aperture 14 may be of any configuration desired. The basic container illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 is conventional and does not form a part of this invention except insofar as the container is a component of the combination provided by the present invention.

An aperture ysealing member or tab 2t? is secured to top 11 of container 10 for closing aperture 14. The closure member illustrated in the accompanying drawings is conventional in combination with container 10 and preferably is hingedly secured to the container top by means of a staple 2l or the like engaged through a laterally extending .tab 22. It is preferred that the container and the sealing member be fabricated from paperboard or the like according to conventional techniques of container manufacture.

Further in accord with the conventional construction of carton 11 and its associated aperture sealing member 20, the sealing member includes a downwardly extending recessed portion 24 having a preferably flat bottom. The recessed portion defines an upwardly opening cavity or recess 25 which is congured generally of the same shape and size as the periphery of aperture 14 to mate intimately with lthe periphery of aperture 14 when the sealing member is in closure relation to the pouring aperture. The sealing member defines a pair of ilanges 26 and 27 which intersect at substantially right angles at the end of the sealing member opposite from tab 22 and which depend downwardly from the sealing member, the sealing member preferably otherwise being of substantially planar coniguration. Flanges 26 and 27 are curled over edge i3 of container 10 to maintain the sealing member in liquidtight closure relation to aperture 14. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the sealing member is disposed on the top of the container so that flanges 26 and 27 intersect at a corner of the container, the container being generally rectangular in planform. To open the container for use of the pouring aperture, flanges 26 and 27 are peeled back from around the cooperating portion of carton edge 13 and the sealing member is hinged upwardly about tab 22 as shown in FIGS. l and 2.

An aperture 30, defining a sipping port, is formed through the sealing member within the extent of rece-ss 25, the limits of the recess being defined by the intersection of the substantially vertically extending Walls of the recess with the generally planar body of the sealing member. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, aperture 3i) is formed at the intersection of the bottom of recessed portion 2li with the side Wall of the recess adjacent tab 22. A flexible tubular sipping straw 31 is passed through the sipping port. The straw has lthe major portion of its length disposed within the enclosed volume of the container 10 and has an exterior end 32 disposed y exteriorly of the container. It is preferred that the straw makes a fluid-tight but slidable connection with aperture 3i). An air vent 3u is formed through the sealing member ystraw is of the desired length. c lower end 34 ofthe straw Vshould not be moved away from f of the straw when the container is fully sealed as illustrated in FIG. 5. The distance between sipping port 30 along the length of strawV 31 to a lower end 34 of the straw interiorly of the container preferably is greater'than the overall height 12 of the container. This provides that the straw may be slid through aperture Si) to increase the length of the exterior portion of the straw and still maintain proper disposition of a lower end 34 of the straw interiorly of the container for allowing the liquid to be sipped.

While the loca-tion of the sipping port and air vent preferably are disposed in the locations described above, these elements of the structure of the present invention may be disposed at other locations in the recess deiined by sealing member 2u. It i-s necessary only that the sipping port and the air vent be located such that they, together with the exterior end of the straw, are closed by a closure member 4t?. When the closure member is engaged in recess 2S, the straw is sharply bent on itself at the sipping port so that liquid from volume 1S of thek container cannot flow into recess 25. Further, the exterior end of the straw closes air vent 33 so that no liquid may flow through the air vent. The closure member is engageable with the sealing member within recess 25 to provide a secure fluid-tight closure for container 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, the closure member,

Y sealing member flattens the exterior portion 32 of sipping straw 31. Upon removal of the closure `member from the recess, the exterior end of the straw may be squeezed between the thumb and forenger yof a user of the container so that the ,exteriorV end of the straw is returned to a substantially Vtubular cross-sectional configuration. Y As noted above, if the length of the exterior portion of the sipping straw is not suicient to provide for convenient sipping operation of the straw, the straw may be slid through sipping port 3? until the exterior portion of the In such case, however,

the lower extremity of container 10.

To facilitate the removal of the closure member' from its cooperating recess, a tab-like handle 41 is provided in the closure member. It is preferred that closure member 40 be a conventional circular milk-bottle cap in which handle 41 is provided integrally with the bottle cap. lA staple 42 Vis provided through the bottle cap'at the hinge line of handle 41 to prevent the handle from being ripped preferably provided in the form of a planar element fab- Y completely from the` bottle top as the force-tit engagel' ment of the bottle top with the walls of recess 25 is broken. Where a conventional milk-bottle cap is relied upon for closure member dit, recess 25 is of circular configurationV and aperture 14 through container top 1i is also circular in accord with conventional container manufacture;

From the foregoing, it is apparent that, except for the provision of a sipping straw, a sipping port and an air vent, the presently preferred container provided by the present invention relies upon conventional container parts.

Y Y,in recessed portion 24 of closure member 2t).

YThe structure Vdescribedrabove constitutes a presently preferred embodimentofV the present Vinventionrand the vent.

Y t Y foregoing description should not be considered as limiting the scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid container having an enclosed interior volume and a top having therethrough an aperture substantially smaller in dimension than the dimensions of the top, the combination comprising a sealing member releasably connected to the container top for closing the aperture, the sealing member including a recessed portion configured and sized to mate intimately with the periphery of the aperture when the sealing member is disposed in closure relation to the aperture, the sealing member defining a sipping port therethrough within the recess, a ilexible sipping straw extending from the interior of the container through the sipping port to an exterior end, and a closure member removably and snugly mating with the sealing member in the recess for closing the recess, the exterior end of the Vstraw being stored in the recess between the sealing member and the closure member.

2. In a liquid container having an enclosed interior volume, a top having therethrough an aperture substantially smaller in dimension than the dimensions of the top and an edge, the combination comprising a sealing mem- Vber for closing the aperture, the sealing member being hingedly secured to the container top and releasably engaged with the container edge, the sealing member includingra recessed portion con-figured and sized to mate intimately in a liquid-tight relationship with the periphery of the aperture and to extend interiorly or" the container when the sealing member is disposed in closure relation to the aperture, the sealing member defining a sipping port therethrough within the recess, a flexible sipping straw extending from the interior of the container through Vthe sipping port to an exterior end, and a closure member removably and snugly mating with the sealing member in the recess for ciosing the recess, the exterior end of the straw Abeing stored in the recess between the sealing member and the closure member.

3. In a liquid container having an enclosed interior volume, a top having therethrough an aperture substanthe aperture, the sealing member including a recessed portion configured and sized to mate intimately with the periphery of the aperture inV a liquid-tight relationship p Awhen the `sealing member is disposed in closure relation to the aperture, the sealing member defining a sipping port therethrough within the recess and an air vent there- Vthrough within the recess adjacent the sipping port, a

flexible Vsipping strawV extending from the interior of the sealing member in therecess peripherally thereof Vfor closing the recess, the exterior end of the straw being disposed in the recess between the sealing member and the closure member and overlying they air vent to seal the air 4. In a liquid container as deiined in claim 3 wherein the closure member consists of a circular planar paperboard cap and wherein theV recess in the sealing member is circular and'has an internal diameter lsufficiently less .than the diameter of the cap to retain the cap therein when the cap is forced into the recess. Y

5. In a liquid container having an enclosedN interior volume, a top having a circular aperture therethrough andan edge, the aperture having a diameter substantially less than the smallest transverse dimension of thecontainer top, the combination comprising a sealing member for closing the aperture, the sealing member being'hinged- Vly. secured to the container top'iand releasably engagedV with a selected portion of the container edge, the sealing I member including a circular recessed portion .sized to mate so intimately-With the periphery of the aperture as to Vdefine aliquid-tight seal Vfor theaperture andv to extend interiorly of the container when the sealing member is disposed in closure relation to the aperture, the sealing member defining a sipping port therethrough Within the recess and an air Vent therethrough Within the recess adjacent the sipping port, a exible sipping straw extending from the interior of the container through the sipping port to an exterior portion, the straw being siidably engaged circumferentially by the periphery of the sipping port, the exterior portion of the straw having a length less than the interior diameter of the recess, and a circular planar closure member removably and `snugly mating with the sealing member in the recess for closing the recess, the

exterior portion of the straw being disposed in the recess between the sealing member and the closure member and overlying the air vent to seal the air vent.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,800,265 7/57 Pugh 229-7 2,95 7,614 10/ 60 Krajcovic 229-7 10 3,021,991 2/ 62 Cohen et al 229-7 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A LIQUID CONTAIN HAVING AN ENCLOSED INTERIOR VOLUME, A TOP HAVING THERETHROUGH AN APERTURE SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER IN DIMENSION THAN THE DIMENSIONS OF THE TOP AND AN EDGE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A SEALING MEMBER FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE, THE SEALING MEMBER HAVING HINGEDLY SECURED TO THE CONTAINER TOP AND RELEASABLY ENGAGED WITH THE CONTAINER EDGE, THE SEALING MEMBER IN CLUDING A RECESSED PORTION CONFIGURED AND SIZED TO MATE INTIMATAELY IN A LIQUID-TIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE APERTURE AND TO EXTEND INTERIORLY OF THE CONTAINER WHEN THE SEALING MEMBER IS DISPOSED IN CLOSURE RELATION TO THE APERTURE, THE SEALING MEMBER DEFINING A SIPPING PORT THERETHROUGH WITHIN THE RECESS, A FLEXIBLE SIPPING STRAW EXTENDING FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER THROUGH THE SIPPING PORT TO AN EXTERIOR END, AND A CLOSURE MEMBER REMOVABLY AND SNUGLY MATING WITH THE SEALING MEMBER IN THE RECESS FOR CLOSING THE RECESS, THE EXTERIOR END OF THE STRAW BEING STORED IN THE RECESS BETWEEN THE SEALING MEMBER AND THE CLOSURE MEMBER. 